Our primary research in the past 14 years has dealt with the neural mechanisms of taste. We have investigated this at the level of the peripheral nerve, and in the central nervous system. We have developed conclusions about the coding process, and about the organization of chemical stimuli. Recently we have found the opportunity to make inferences about the receptor mechanisms of this chemical sense from certain temporal and other characteristics of the neural activity which follow chemical stiumlation of these receptors. The rationale for these inferences is not private to taste stimuli, but seems appropriate for any biochemically active substance, such as the opiates and their antagonists. Therefore, the taste system may be a preparation in which the cell membrane sensitive to the opiates and their antagonists is accessible for direct experimental manipulation. We have determined that morphine sulfate and its antagonist, Naloxone, are powerful stimuli for these receptors. They both evoke neural activity, in which some properties of the stimulation process should be betrayed. It seems reasonable to expect that in this preparation, some insights may be gained into the receptor mechanisms for these stimuli, such as whether morphine and Naloxone are acting on the same receptors, and the temporal characteristics of their adsorption and desorption. Whether the stimulation process seen here is other than a simple "bitter" mechanism is a primary problem. We propose that this may be resolved by study of the rate processes of bitter substances compared with the substances of interest here, and the characteristics of the reciprocal effects of these stimuli with other stimuli, especially those that are bitter.